I accidentally lied about salary

[Helloyouok]

Hi, I'm hoping for a bit of reassurance but feel free to also tell me off because I've been a bit silly.

I've been offered a new job, which involves a salary increase, and I successfully managed to negotiate a bit more than what I was originally offered.

In my current role I genuinely thought I was on £36.5k, so this is what I've been telling interviewers I'm on when asked. However I checked my Compensation statement just now and to my horror I'm actually on just under £35.5k! I'm not sure why I thought I was on more, I think I'm my head I've always said I'm on around 36k and then somehow added the 0.5 along the way so that's just the figure that stuck in my head.

Anyway the new job is about to contact my references and I'm having a bit of a meltdown because if they ask for current salary and notice the discrepancy will I be pulled up for lying, or even worse the offer retracted? It was a genuine mistake on my part.

wow you are v anxious and over thinking

I would lie a lots more to get more money

Don't sweat. They will never know, P45 just gives earnings and tax for tax year and doesn't recognise you got a pay rise in December!

Exactly

Don't worry about it. Everyone adds a bit on to negotiate.

Yeah when they ask what salary are you on currently they really don’t expect a breakdown to 3 decimal places. In your situation I would have said I’m on “just under 40k” or similar. You are in a negotiation. Your objective is to get the best salary for yourself not win an honesty contest.

Don't worry. It's £1k and can be easily explained as a typo. I don't think I have ever quoted my correct salary. I've always overinflated slightly to get more money in new job.

I wouldn't worry but that easy to either blame on a typo or on them mishearing.

Just don't say you thought wrong if it ever comes up - which it won't!

You don’t(&shouldnt) have to even answer that question! It’s irrelevant to the job you are applying for! The job should pay what it pays

This is so annoying and just a tactic to lowball you. I ask the range for the role and if they push it say I’m sure you understand that my current salary is company confidential information but I’d need this much + these benefits to consider moving,

I’ve worked in recruitment for over 10 years and when I ask candidates about salary I ask what salary would you be looking for to consider moving or if it’s a fixed salary for the role tell them what it is and say does that match your expectations right now. Any time I’ve went for a new job I always add a bit extra on. I wouldn’t worry about this at all. Reference checks won’t confirm current salary as it’s irrelevant when you’re moving.

I think you'll be fine. Infact I'm sure you'll be fine. It's a competitive job market at the moment. They obviously want you and they are intending to get you. A 1k oversight is not a big deal in the business world.

Don't worry about it. I was deliberately vague when I applied for my current job as it was a big salary increase and I didn't want them to think I couldn't do it!

Guys do this all the time - I remember an ex telling me every new job he added at least 5k on his old salary and was never asked for proof. He was told to do it by his dad! Was quite a revelation.

I would not worry. Employers do not request salary information as part of references - the references only usually cover job title/previous positions and dates of employment along with a comment if it's your line manager completing and not HR... As long as you haven't falsified that information then there would be no concerns....

That said though - if you had over-inflated your salary - the new/prospective employer may already be aware of what your employer pays for that particular role.... so for other posters thinking that they can get away with doing this - I wouldn't bother...

When salaried I always answered the question ‘I’m looking for in excess of £x salary for a role like this’. What I was actually currently paid was irrelevant as far as I was concerned and nobody’s business but my own.

This is one of those things where a bloke and a woman are so different! My DH would put a £10k increase without batting an eyelid and not worry. This is why they earn more!!! 🤣

I written and requested a lot of references in my time. I've never had to confirm or request confirmation of salary. Even if it did come out, I don't think anyone would imagine a candidate would bother to knowingly inflate their salary by just £1k. I genuinely think that your panic is over.

They won’t check your salary in a reference (and your employer wouldn’t give it to them as they would / should regard it as a trade secret). If they wanted to find out what you earned they’d ask for bank statements or payslips, just like a mortgage provider does.

i Interview a lot and we expect people to not be completely truthful on their salary figure

I’m more surprised everyone is being honest about your salary. Surely the next employer will just go slightly above that to get you

They don’t ask your current salary for a reference. There is strict criteria and it’s very limited. You’re fine nothing to worry about!

Easily solved… ‘£36.5k takes in to account my annual bonus’.

Also a standard interview response to being asked your current salary is to instead respond saying ‘x is the lowest figure I would be prepared to accept for this position’.

Its the employers responsibility to offer a rate they are happy to pay. Legally, if they have offered a role and you have resigned they cannot retract it without facing a loss of earnings claim. Its unlikely they will ask for a salary as part of a reference. Even if they do ask the difference in uplift is small. Assuming you are moving from a role where you had a longer notice period and were not in probation, then a small uplift is normal and expected as you have less security in your contract initially.

I wouldnt sweat it, i jobhop and regularly add more on, I've quadrupled my salary in 5yrs that way 🤣 it's never been checked or questioned - what you used to earn is irrelevant, it's about what you think you should earn for carrying out the new role.